Readers Speak: Help! World Cup-Obsessed Loved Ones Are Ruining Our TV Time

By The Pop Chorus Posted Jul 3rd 2010 10:00AM

The World Cup just might be the TV event of the summer. Legions of subversive American soccer fans and new recruits to "the beautiful game" have been held in rapture with the South African event for the past three weeks. Sadly, futbol-obsessed loved ones and roommates have been cutting into our readers' TV time. Here, three speak from our Pop Chorus -- they're missing 'House'! They'd die for even a rerun of 'Friends'! They just want this dang soccer party to be over!

Nicholas James says:
While I don't watch a lot of television, there are a few shows I never miss. That is, until now. My roommate, Jorge, has taken over the living room to watch the World Cup, leaving me bored and miserable. Now, the remote control -- and my sanity -- are constantly in the palm of his hand. Instead of watching 'Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,' I'm stuck listening to Jorge's chants and cheers echo throughout the entire house. We don't have TiVo, so I can't record anything. My morning routine (a cup of coffee and 'The Wendy Williams Show') has been shattered.

"Jorge, please let me watch one of my shows," I beg. He responds with cheers and grunts, and I realize I've lost the battle. At night, while Jorge is at the hospital, I'm also at work. By the time I get home, I'm too tired to fight another useless battle, and decide I'll try again the next day. When the World Cup ends and life goes back to normal, I'm hoping to regain my equal rights to the remote. Until then, my days are spent at Starbucks with coffee and conversation (about the World Cup).

Benjamin Williams says:
My fiance watching the World Cup is not something that happens all the time; it comes around once every four years, and we've agreed I can sacrifice my TV time in favor of her indulging her soccer hunger. Long gone are the nights of my leisurely viewing of humor and suspense, replaced by the mind-numbing drone of the vuvuzela horns and the attempt to understand the announcers' commentary over the interminable buzz. My scantily clad actresses have been replaced by 22 men wearing tight shorts and knee high socks, running up and down a well-manicured playing surface, kicking a ball at each other.

I have no idea who 'House' is manipulating, no inkling how many king crab the 'Deadliest Catch' dudes have caught in Alaska and absolutely no clue where my favorite band of truck drivers are risking their lives this season. I think at this point I would be happy to even see a rerun of 'Friends' or to hear Ray Romano make another joke about his brother -- anything that even remotely resembles a piece of the world that has been taken away from me. Fortunately, the World Cup will be over soon and I can return to my comfort zone. Until then, the countdown is on.

Xavier Williams says:
After a long day working to make my cynical boss richer, I can find solace by spreading out on my big blue living room sofa. Ever since my husband began watching every single match of the World Cup, a small fuse broke in my head and it will not be relieved by any other method than buffeting his head with sofa cushions. If soccer were even popular, my rage would be somewhat lessened, but no one I know even knows how to play soccer, much less have a conversation about it!

I used to rely on watching 'House' to wash away my stress; now, I have to use what I learned from my medical show to repair my wounded husband after our fights for the television. After finding out the World Cup madness would last for 30 days, I contemplated destroying every television within a 25-mile radius to spite my husband. But then I had a wonderful thought -- the longer he watched TV, the longer the house would stay clean.

Previously on PopEater:
The Vuvuzela and Pop Culture -- Love at First Buzz
For Some, Music Matters More Than Sports at World Cup

Want to join the Pop Chorus? Start here!

Tags: The Pop Chorus, vuvuzela, World Cup

Comments

(19)

Saturday 03 July

By tps364

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What a great sport. (For paraplegic). And the great music. (For a vegetable)

By Lola2010

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Don't envy them just because you'll nave be in their shoes...Literally!

I ment "Never"..ok?

Sunday 04 July

By BTDT

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Without riots in the stands, soccer is about as exciting as Chinese politics.

By leethas

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Now you know how I feel during March Madness.

By DTgringo

"Instead of watching 'Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List,' I'm stuck listening to Jorge's chants and cheers echo throughout the entire house. We don't have TiVo, so I can't record anything. My morning routine (a cup of coffee and 'The Wendy Williams Show') has been shattered." - Trust me pal, you deserve everything you're getting if those are the shows you are concerned about missing.

I'm sure that once the world cup is over, Nicholas and Jorge's make-up sex will be Fabulous!

By J Lea

I feel so bad for you, especially since you can catch all the reruns of the stupid House episodes you missed during any of the many mind-numbing marathons shown ad nauseum throughout the year.

By RYAN

I dont have this issue with the world cup but my wife isnt an american,she is colombian and that is a soccer crazy country.She will mention it but she knows I know nothing about it like MOST AMERICANS and we have more than one tv.I feel sorta bad that soccer seems uninteresting to me and it just looks like guys kicking a ball A LOT.I do respect the amount of running the players do but not much else ..........if my wife wants me to watch it with her she knows I will but she has never asked me.

By Reed

Are you kidding about HOUSE. It's on 5 different stations in my area. How can you miss it?

By Ray

Last message got lost. Soccer is good exercise for children. Keeps them in shape. As a "sport" it is a joke. No talent required. I guess that is why some many folks are fans, can imagine themselves being stars with their no talent. Watching soccer is the equivalent to watching paint dry. Almost as much fun as the WWF and NASCAR, two other no talent "sports". You can buy some paint at Lowes, paint in on the walls of your garage, watch it dry and it will be as interesting as soccer. And what is with the faked injuries. Do these guys get paid for their acting ability???????? Not a sport, just a spectator sport for folks with low IQs.

By Mary Rose

It is summer. The weather is warm. Why would any idiot want to spend all of their time in a closed up room watching a bunch of foreigners kick around a little round ball? If any over weight people are watching soccer, then they are not doing the right thing. They should be out getting at least as much exercise as those soccer players.

By gobluespartyon

At least for them it's almost over not too many games which are Tue & Wed then 3RD place game next Saturday & finally World Cup Championship next Sunday. For the most part was only watching USA matches and most of the time just in the back ground. I'm rooting for Germany I was rooting for BRA until there upset. Don't they have more than one TV that wouldn't be a problem if they had a few more TV's. World Cup is about the only time I watch Soccer.

By Jinxx

Actually.. To the people who said soccer is a talentless sport... I played soccer for years. It's tough! You really, really work! I never had a huge interest though, so I stopped. But it takes an effort (that most Americans won't give) and some talent (which most Americans no longer have).
I don't watch the World Cup, anyway. Like I said, I never really liked soccer, only did it to see what the hype was about. But I do know, that no matter what sport you're in, being at the top like these teams are? It takes years of hard work, dedication, sleepless nights, failures, and wins. So, good job to all the teams (whoever you are) for makking it this high up in the world. It's hard.
... And what American ever wants to be this high up in the world? "Ahhh, I'm too lazy, it's hot, nyah don't want to, rather watch TV" is what most people say now-a-days. =)

By susy

i've actually watched almost every single game of the world cup... it felt weird when these past two days there weren't any games, you just get used to the games being on. i bet the final is germany v. netherlands

Monday 05 July

By Paul gg

The WORLD CUP has been awesome!,.And for those people who's lives revolve around Oprah and the Today show,.I pity your empty meaningless lives,.Its once every 4 years that the world gets together for a grand spectacle,.Go Germany!

By futbolfever

paul gg and susy keepin it real i agree with you guys

By valeskas

Soccer is exciting when you know the rules of the game. Now looking at baseball, that is boring. In american sports I prefer basketball and football. Here we talk about the world champions every year, but it is mostly here in the USA. In soccer the worldchampionships are every 4 years and teams from all over the world participate in their WORLDCHAMPIONSHIP, now that is a real worldchampion. I love how we get better and better with our american team in soccer and hope as the years go by, that we bring a world champion to this country.

By sophia

I love The World Cup,!World Cup is about sportsmanship.My boyfriend and i both think so. He is 10 years older than me,lol.i know him via ~(A g eR o Man ce)* .*{C00M}~~ a nice place for younger women and older men, or older women and younger men, to interact with each other...No age gap is too wide in front of true love. . ...@love it
★★★★★★

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